


Movie Night

by FanaticFangirl2602



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Aunt May needs more content, Best Aunt Ever May Parker, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, It's because he has May to help him, May Parker is underrated, May is tired, One Shot, Peter gets more sleep than I do, Peter is too stubborn, Pre-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Precious Peter Parker, So is the author, That's saying something, There's only a light sprinkling of angst, Y'all should be proud of me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-05-31 13:27:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15120371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanaticFangirl2602/pseuds/FanaticFangirl2602
Summary: She found out during movie night.“Peter, you need sleep.”“And I’ll get it,” Peter promised her, but he didn’t look away from the television. “After the movie ends.”May sighed quietly. “Sweetie-”“Nope, can’t make me.”Peter yawned.





	Movie Night

**Author's Note:**

> Aunt May deserves more love and recognition.

She found out during movie night.

It was a weekly occurrence, curling up on the couch next to each other on Saturday night and watching movies until the sun rose. Both of them needed the time with each other, now more than ever. They each needed the reassurance that they weren’t alone. With how quiet their small apartment had gotten since Ben's death, it was easy to forget. It was easy to get caught up in the loss and sorrow. Movie night helped with that.

Ben used to join them on these nights. Back then, movie night had been more of a monthly occurrence than weekly. They'd all look forward to the unspoken plan of watching a film and lounging around together on the last Saturday on the month. The evenings would be full of Ben’s deep laugh, thrown popcorn, and arguments over the tv’s volume. 

Some things had changed. Movie night had been shifted to once a week, every Saturday. It still had the occasional popcorn battle and volume disagreements, but it was more subdued. Especially n the beginning, because both of them had been all too aware of who was missing. Ben had always been the one to start the ruckus, whether it be with a decently aimed popcorn kernel or well timed quip. The lack of his presence was louder than the movie.

Gradually, the quiet atmosphere had shifted from melchanony to content, and from content to happy, and the noise started returning. Peter started stealthily stealing popcorn from May until she noticed. The next several minutes of whatever movie was playing would be drowned out by Peter’s maniacal cackle and May’s empty threats. Pillows would fly, dares would be made, and Peter would eventually make a second bowl of popcorn as a peace offering.

The Parkers still had their quiet nights though. Those nights, May and her nephew would lean against each other on the couch, a shared bowl of popcorn balanced between them. They’d both be tired to the bone, whether it be from work or school, but unwilling to give up movie time. They took comfort in each other's presence, even if one of them was half asleep.

Tonight was one of the quieter nights.

They chose to rewatch one of the movie they already owned, both Parkers too tired to go find a RedBox to rent from. Peter set the movie up in the living room, while May prepared a big bowl of popcorn in the kitchen for the two of them to share. When their snack was done, she dumped in it a large, colorful, plastic bowl and grabbed two cups of water before making her way around the kitchen counter to the living room.

She paused in the open area where the two rooms met, taking in the scene. Peter had managed to get their old tv to work without much of a fuss and was already on the couch, remote in hand as he pulled up the movie's menu. He was curled up against the cushions at the far end of the couch, his legs pulled up in front of him. He was wearing his red Iron Man socks. They were faded and aged, but still his favorite. May smiled softly at the sight.

She took in the sight a second longer before walking over, stepping around his discarded sneakers on her way to the couch. She set the cups on the coffee table before sitting down at the opposite end to Peter. May set the popcorn down on the cushion between them as she kicked off her flats and sent the shoes flying across the small room.

“What’d ya pick?” She asked, crossing her legs beneath her.

Peter took a handful of the popped kernels sitting between them, having already been reaching for the food before she spoke. “Back to the Future,” he answered before shoving the snack in his mouth.

May chuckled quietly. “Sometimes I think you can unhinge your jaw with how much food you’re able to fit in your mouth at once,” she teased as she took some popcorn for herself.

Peter rolled his eyes and swallowed. “It’s not that much,” he said.

“Mmhmm,” May hummed, her lips pulling up into a small grin. “Even though you just ate a fourth of what’s in the bowl.”

“I did not!” Her nephew protested, trying and failing to hide his own little grin.

May laughed and plucked the tv remote out of his hand with her free hand. “Whatever you say, Peter.”

He huffed loud enough for her to know he was just being dramatic as she hit play on the movie. When he stole more popcorn from the bowl a minute later, she didn’t comment on it, just smiled and ate her own.

The pair watched the beginning of the movie in comfortable silence and ate their bowl of popcorn in the dim lighting of their living room. When Doc Brown came on screen, Peter finally made a comment.

“You know, we never find out how they became friends,” he said. He drummed his fingers quietly against his leg. “I wonder how it happened.”

“Me too,” May replied. She thought for a few moments before speaking again. “Think Doc blew something up?”

Peter snorted and smiled. “Likely. That must have been a fun first meeting.”

“Right?” May laughed. “I bet it was chaos.”

“And loud,” Peter added before tossing a piece of popcorn into his mouth. “Loud and chaotic.”

May playfully smacked her nephew’s shoulder, no real strength behind the action. “Don’t talk with food in your mouth,” she chided lightly.

Peter groaned all the same. “It’s one piece-”

“Nuh uh uh. No talking until you swallow.”

The teenager next to her groaned loudly again, but dutifully chewed and swallowed his food. “There,” he said when his mouth was empty, giving May an unimpressed look. “Happy?”

“Very,” May answered cheerfully, smiling brightly at him.

Peter rolled his eyes good naturedly, fighting to hide a small smile of his own.

The movie went on. Gradually, Peter shifted closer and closer to her on the couch. He was surely trying to do it in a way meant for her to not notice, so May acted as if she wasn’t aware of her nephew sliding across the furniture slowly. Even once they were shoulder to shoulder, she didn’t say a word of it. The aunt just waited a few minutes before she slipped an arm around him.

They’d gotten a little over halfway through the movie when Peter rubbed his eyes. May stifled a sigh. It wasn't the first time he'd done it. She’d noticed Peter’s eyelids drooping. He’d gotten close to falling asleep where he sat several times already, but every time he was about to nod off, he caught himself. He'd jerked himself awake and blinked hard, before staring at the tv resolutely. Once or twice, she’d caught him glancing at her, checking to see if she’d noticed him almost falling asleep.

When he groggily rubbed his eyes again a few minutes later, May frowned faintly. “You should go to bed,” she said softly, looking down at her boy.

Peter shook his head slightly, his eyes flitting to her before going back to the screen. “Nah, I’m good. I can finish.”

May’s frown deepened. “Peter, you need sleep.”

“And I’ll get it,” Peter promised her, but he didn’t look away from the television. “After the movie ends.”

May sighed quietly. “Sweetie-”

“Nope, can’t make me.”

Peter yawned.

May closed her eyes briefly. Oh, this child. He was too stubborn for his own good sometimes. But she relented and squeezed his shoulder lightly. “Fine. But it’s right to bed as soon as the credits come on.”

Peter’s lips twitched up into a small smile. “Yes, ma’am.”

She huffed out a little laugh and removed her hand from his shoulder to rub his head affectionately. She started to open to mouth to say something, but whatever retort she might have had on the tip of her tongue disappeared, chased away by sudden surprise.

As soon as her hands touched his hair, Peter relaxed. She felt the tension leave the muscles in the kid next to her as she rustled his curls. He leaned against her a little more, seemingly unconsciously. He fought back another yawn.

May studied her nephew for a moment before smiling, a hunch forming in her mind.

She returned her attention to the film, keeping her hand atop Peter’s head. Without a word, she slowly ran her fingers through his brunette locks. She played with the waves in his hair and gently scratched his scalp. Against her, Peter relaxed more. He hummed sleepily, the quiet noise full of content. May softly bit her lip, holding back a small laugh at how precious her nephew was.

Only a couple of minutes had passed when his head came to rest against her shoulder. Five minutes after that, Peter’s eyes were closed for the night.

May continued to rub his head even once he was asleep, a faint feeling of relief running through her veins. At last, the teen would be getting some sleep. The aunt knew he was running behind on it, and had been for at least a few days. This would be good for him.

Amusement flickered through her mind. A head rub was all it’d taken to finally coax Peter to sleep. She filed the information away. It’d be useful in the future, when he refused to go to bed again. He hadn't fought this at all. Part of her wondered if he'd known he was falling asleep while she'd rubbed his head. Perhaps. Perhaps not. 

Knowing she wasn’t strong enough to carry Peter to his room, May didn’t bother attempting to move him. Besides, she didn’t want to risk waking him up. He needed this too much. 

She took the bowl of lukewarm popcorn from where it'd migrated to his lap and set it on the coffee table with her free hand, careful not to jostle her nephew too much. When that was out of the way, she grabbed the blanket hanging over the back of the couch. She draped it over her nephew and pulled it up over his shoulder, smiling fondly as she covered him.

May picked up the remote from where it was next to her on the armrest and turned the volume of the movie down. When the movie’s audio had become what she deemed comfortable background noise, she set the remote aside once more and leaned back against the couch cushions.

Settled in for the night, she rested her cheek against the top of her nephew’s head for a moment.

Ben’s absence was still fresh. It still hurt. It likely always would. But it was nights like this, with Peter fast asleep and snuggled up against her, that made the pain more bearable. She knew it helped him too, having her close. So close she stayed. For his benefit and her's. They helped each other. They always would.

May pressed a soft kiss against Peter’s dark curls.

“Goodnight, sweetie.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first published work for this fandom! Y'all have no idea how long I've had this headcanon. Head rubs are Peter's KRYPTONITE. It's precious. (Also, John Mulaney makes a good point, and I had to bring it up, even though I haven't watched BTTF in YEARSSS.)
> 
> If you enjoyed this, let me know! Because it's veeeery possible this will become a one shot series. I already have ideas and a vague outlines for at least two more installments.
> 
> And if you love Peter Parker as much as I do, come say hi to me on [Tumblr!](http://fanaticfangirl2602.tumblr.com)


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